How to Make a Miniature Sofa From Scratch (Foam Board, Fabric & Zero Panic DIY)

You know that moment when your tiny people are standing around the living room like they’re at an art gallery because… there’s nowhere to sit?

Let’s fix that.

In this build we’re going to make a fully upholstered miniature sofa from scratch using foam board, batting, and fabric. No 3D printer, no premade kit – just simple materials and some patient cutting and gluing.

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This guide is designed so you can copy the basic structure or riff on it and design your dream couch in miniature. I’ll give you exact sample measurements for a comfy little two-seater (roughly 1:12 scale), but you can absolutely tweak them as you like.

Materials & Tools:

Core materials

• Foam board – about 6 mm (¼") thick; this will be the structure of the sofa. Cardboard works in a pinch but foam board is sturdier.

• Fabric for the sofa – medium-weight woven fabric (non-stretch) looks the most realistic. Avoid big prints; small patterns or solids work best.

• Fabric for throw cushions – a contrast color or texture is fun, but you can use the same fabric if you prefer.

• Batting – thin polyester quilt batting for padding the frame and cushions.

• Stuffing/fiberfill – for the loose pillows.

Adhesives

• Tacky white glue (PVA) – for wrapping batting and fabric on big areas.

• Strong clear glue (all-purpose or fabric glue) – for legs and structural joins.

Tools

• Sharp craft knife / X-Acto and a metal ruler for the foam board.

• Sharp scissors for fabric and batting.

• Hand sewing needle + matching thread for tufting and pillows.

• Skewer or thin dowel for sofa legs (plus a small saw and sandpaper).

• Awl or thick needle – to start holes for legs and tufting.

• Iron + ironing board (optional but helpful for neat fabric edges).

Safety notes

• Cut on a cutting mat or sacrificial board, not your table.

• Always cut away from your body; several light passes with the knife are safer (and cleaner) than one heroic chop.

• Ventilate your space if your glue has fumes.

Step 0 – Scale & Overall Plan

The sample measurements below will give you roughly a 1:12 scale two-seater sofa. Think: about 14 cm wide, comfy enough for two 6" (15 cm) dolls.

You’ll build it in three big chunks:

1. The padded base (seat + front + back)

2. The legs

3. The cushions (seat and back, plus little throw pillows)

You can resize the sofa by scaling all the measurements up or down by the same percentage.

Step 1 – Cut the Foam Board Base

Cut these pieces from 6 mm foam board:

• 2 × side blocks – 5.8 cm × 7 cm (these become the arms/sides)

• 1 × seat platform – 14 cm × 6.4 cm

• 1 × back piece – a trapezoid:

  • Top edge: 17 cm

  • Bottom edge: 14 cm

  • Height: 5 cm

Think of it like a long rectangle for the seat, a slightly taller trapezoid for the back, and two end pieces. Dry-fit the pieces on your table in a rough sofa shape to get oriented. Don’t glue anything together yet – we upholster them separately first.

Step 2 – Pad the Base Pieces with Batting

You’re giving each foam piece a quilted jacket so it doesn’t look boxy under the fabric.

1. Cut strips of batting long enough to wrap once around each base piece with the edges just meeting – not overlapping.

2. Glue the batting around each piece with tacky glue, keeping it smooth.

3. Leave a couple of extra centimeters of batting sticking out past each end.

4. Weigh the pieces down under a heavy book while they dry so they stay flat.

When dry:

5. At each end, snip down the sides of the excess batting and trim away the overlapping edge so you’re left with one flap.

6. Fold that flap neatly over the end and glue it down. Repeat for both ends of each base piece.

7. Once everything is dry, trim any fluffy overhang so the edges are clean and padded but not lumpy.

Step 3 – Wrap the Base in Fabric

Now it starts looking like furniture.

For each base piece:

1. Cut a rectangle of your main fabric big enough to wrap all the way around with about 1 cm of overlap, plus a few centimeters extra at each end.

2. Place the fabric right-side down. Center the padded foam piece on top.

3. Wrap the long edges of the fabric tightly around the piece and glue them down so they overlap by around 1 cm on the underside.

4. Let that dry, then deal with the ends:

   • Snip two small cuts to create side flaps.

   • Trim those flaps to a manageable length.

   • Trim away any extra fabric where the long edges meet, so you’re left with a single central flap.

   • Glue down the side flaps, then the central flap – exactly like wrapping the ends of a present.

Repeat for all four base pieces (seat, back trapezoid, and two sides).

Step 4 – Add Neat Back Panels & Legs

4A – Back panels (optional but recommended)

The backs of your base pieces might show when someone peers into the room, so let’s tidy those.

For each base piece:

1. Cut a rectangle of your sofa fabric the same size as the face you want to cover.

2. Iron the edges over to the wrong side by about 5 mm to create a hem.

3. Trim the corners at a diagonal so you don’t get bulky lumps.

4. Glue this neat panel onto the exposed back, keeping glue off the visible fabric as much as possible.

5. Press under a heavy book while it dries.

4B – Sofa legs

Use bamboo skewers or thin dowel for mid-century-style legs.

1. Cut 4 legs about 1.5 cm long. Sand the ends smooth.

2. 

   Flip the seat base over. Use an awl to start four holes near the corners on the underside (do not poke all the way through). Enlarge gently with the tip of your scissors if needed.

3. Add a tiny dot of strong glue to the top of each leg and push it into its hole.

   

4. Make sure the base sits level, adjust if needed, then let it dry completely.

If the underside fabric sags, you can glue a couple of coffee stirrers or lollipop sticks across the bottom to tighten and reinforce it.

You can color the legs with watered-down acrylic paint or even a marker if you want them “stained.”

Step 5 – Cut the Cushion Cores

We’ll make two seat cushions and two back cushions.

From foam board, cut:

• Seat cushions:

  • 2 pieces – 5 cm × 6.5 cm

• Back cushions:

  • 2 mirror-image pieces, each:

    • Height: 5 cm

    • Top width: 7.5 cm

    • Bottom width: 6.5 cm

On each back cushion, mark one tuft points and poke a hole with an awl:

• About the center of the cushion

Those holes will be for the tufting later.

Step 6 – Pad the Cushion Cores

Use the same wrapping technique you used for the base pieces:

1. Wrap each cushion in a single layer of batting and glue it closed with the join on what will become the underside.

2. Trim and fold the ends just like before so each cushion is evenly padded.

3. For the seat cushions only, glue two extra layers of batting on one face to make them extra squishy. That “double-padded” face will be the top.

Let everything dry.

Step 7 – Upholster the Cushions

1. Cut fabric rectangles big enough to wrap around each cushion with a small overlap and extra at the ends.

   

2. Place the fabric right-side down.

3. For the seat cushions, place them batting-heavy-side down on the fabric so that extra padding ends up on the top once wrapped.

   

4. Glue the long edges around each cushion, then finish the ends like a wrapped gift: little side flaps first, then the central flap.

5. Trim any bulky corners so they look crisp and box-like.

Let the glue set before the next step.

Step 8 – Add Tufting to the Back Cushions (Optional but Fancy)

This is where the sofa goes from “foam blocks in fabric” to “mini designer piece.”

For each back cushion:

1. Thread a needle with a long piece of thread doubled over, so you have a loop at the end.

2. Starting from the back of the cushion, push the needle through one of the tufting holes to the front.

3. Don’t pull the thread all the way through – leave the loop on the back.

4. Re-insert the needle from front to back through the same hole.

5. On the back side, pass the needle through the loop of thread and pull tight. This cinches the front, creating a tuft.

6. Secure with a small knot at the back and trim the excess.

If you want, you can add a small dab of glue to the back knots to lock them in.

Step 9 – Assemble the Sofa Body

Time to commit.

1. Take the long seat base and the trapezoid back piece.

2. Run a line of strong clear glue along the joining edges and press them together at a right angle – you’re making an “L” shape. Try to keep glue from squishing onto visible fabric.

3. Hold in place with masking tape or a loop of yarn while the glue sets.

4. Once secure, glue on the two side pieces as arms, again using tape or yarn to hold everything aligned as it dries.

If you get visible glue on the seams, one neat trick is to stitch along the seam with tiny ladder stitches in matching thread to both hide the glue line and make the join look like intentional upholstery.

When everything is rock solid, drop in your seat cushions and prop the back cushions in place. Adjust their positions while the sofa is still movable so you like the proportions.

Step 10 – Make Tiny Throw Cushions (Optional but Adorable)

Use a contrasting fabric and make two little pillows:

1. Cut 4 squares of fabric, each about 5 cm × 5 cm.

2. Place two squares right-sides together.

3. Sew around three sides with a small backstitch (or use a sewing machine), securing the thread at both ends.

4. Turn right-side out, carefully poke out the corners.

5. Add a pinch of stuffing, then close the final side with tiny ladder stitches.

For the small side bolsters that sit against the arms, start with rectangles around 5.5 cm × 4 cm instead and sew them the same way, then add one or two tiny stitches through the center to “tuft” them.

Troubleshooting & Quick Fixes

• Fabric looks lumpy over the foam

  • Use thinner batting or trim it closer to the edges before wrapping with fabric. Keep glue layers thin so they don’t create ridges.

• Legs are uneven / sofa wobbles

  • Before the glue cures, set the sofa on a flat surface and gently press down so all four legs touch. If it’s already dry, sand the longest leg or glue a tiny sliver of card under the short one.

• Underside fabric is sagging

  • Glue a couple of coffee stirrers or lollipop sticks across the bottom to pull the fabric taut and stiffen the base.

• Visible glue on seams

  • Let it dry completely (don’t smear it wet), then disguise the area with hand stitching in matching thread or add a narrow “piping” strip of fabric over the seam.

• Tufts aren’t deep enough

  • Tighten the thread at the back, then knot it again. If needed, gently press the front with your thumb while pulling from behind.

And that’s it – a tiny, genuinely comfy-looking miniature sofa built completely from scratch.

If you try this build, I’d love to see how you hacked the design: longer couch, funky fabric, chaise lounge variation – whatever your small world dreams up. Tag your photos with #smallworldminiatures so I can admire your minis’ new favorite nap spot.